Ever wondered why food companies choose the packaging they do, or why you think some foods look better than others? Research shows that different colors have different effects on our appetites, so I hunted out the top ten facts…
1. Colors in food we avoid …
We naturally avoid blue, purple and black foods, as we are programmed to think that these foods will be gone off or lethal. Apart from blueberries, gooseberries and eggplants, there are no naturally occurring foods in these colors. However, some foods are dyed these colors, and it does not appear to have the same effect. Popular sweets Smarties were forced to bring back the bright blue sweet after it received many complaints when it was removed!
2. Blue food, anyone?
Blue food constantly wins the ‘least appetizing’ food award. A study which involved asking contestants their favorite foods, dying them blue and asking them to eat them showed that blue food is instantly found to be much less appealing, even if it tastes normal.
3. The most appetizing color is …
That’s right! It’s red! Red food (as well as the color red itself) is appetite stimulating, creating feelings of intimacy and energy. If you are having a problem with your appetite, bring in some red into your kitchen! I find that having red placemats worked wonders for me, as it makes sure that I am hungry when I sit down to eat. I used to have a real problem with picking at my food, skipping the real meal and then being hungry and snacking later, but my placemats seem to have really helped!
4. Yellow also increases the appetite …
Yellow is also appetite stimulating, because it relates to happiness. Ever noticed that restaurants have yellow painted windows or yellow flowers at the table? This homely look is to make you feel more welcome, and hungrier.
5. We eat and drink with our eyes …
If you change the color of popular drinks, most people will not be able to identify the drink!
“There were a number of studies performed at the University of Washington on how the perception of taste is effected by color. In one study subjects tasted drinks and were able to see the “correct” colors of the drinks, and they were always able to identify the taste of the drink correctly.
However, when they could not see the color of the drink, they made mistakes. For example, 70 percent of the people who tasted the grape drink, said it was grape. With 15 percent of the people thinking it was lemon-lime. Only 30 percent of the people who tasted the cherry drink thought it was cherry. Most people thought the cherry drink was lemon-lime.”
More Fabulous Posts on Weight Loss:
- 12 Best Ways to Lose Weight …
- 5 Weight Loss Programs That Worked for Me …
- 10 Easy Weight Loss Rules You Must Know …
How do i write articles for this site? I have a lot of ideas.
I must agree with that theory. I would prefer to have yellow cake instead of the same cake in blue or purple.
But I do love blueberries, black currents, and concord grapes!!!
Did you every try a red orange?
I just left a comment and it disappeared….those gremlins….
I said that that I do agree with the theory about our attraction to certain foods because of its color.
If I had to chose between a yellow cupcake and blue or purple cupcake, I would definitely select the yellow one. But then again, I love blueberries, black currants, and concord grapes.
How about red oranges?
Isn’t it crazy to actually realize that we are eating with our “eyes” too, so it’s mainly the way the food looks that makes us all so hungry for it. I tried to imagine different kinds of food in blue color, like soup or salad, and they all seem to be so unappetizing, so I too agree with this color theory.
PS: I don’t know why the comments do that, but they all seem to appear on the website later on, no worries :)
Hi Sarah,
Please use this form for submitting a sample piece: http://allwomenstalk.com/writing-opportunity/
Thank you.